I don't know much about the public sentiment in Mainland China. But aside from politics, I don't see Chinese in general dislike Japanese, or vice versa.

In fact, in the area I live where there are strong presence of Asian population, I know a lot of Chinese Americans marrying Japanese Americans. The frequency is much higher than marrying with other minority group, i.e. Mexican Americans.

Even outside North America, there are also a lot of inter-marriage between Chinese and Japanese in many Asian cities. In fact, even in the Chinese community (or some prefer to call Taiwanese community) in Yokohama, there are also a lot of inter-marriage with the Japanese in the younger generation.

And interestingly the ratio seems even (I have no statistics) between Chinese guys/Japanese wives and Japanese guys/Chinese wives.

I am a Chinese and I feel that the Japanese had wronged the Chinese and committed a lot of atrocities. But they were not the first nor probably not the last. Other invaders also committed as much atrocities, for example, the Mongols and the Manchus. However, though I do not forget these wrongs, I think we should move on. The great majority of the Japanese are not bad people, only a handful are bad; just like the great majority of the Germans are not bad people, only a handful are Nazis.
I personally think that The Economist must stop throw oil on fire. The balance is still delicate and there is no point of toppling the whole thing by stoking needlessly the fire. Articles, such as the present one, just throw oil onto the fire. This is not welcome, unless The Economist has in its mind to fuel the hatred between China and Japan and bring the two countries to fight each other. Actually, a war between China and Japan (even an economic war and not a physical one) will be to the advantage of other countries, more particularly, the US. Is this what the US wants and is using The Economist to further its objective?
The same kind of hatred also exists between the Koreans and Japan, and these two countries are also in dispute in connection with an island. Why does The Economist not bring forward the dispute as it has in the case of the Diaoyu islands? Why does The Economist not publish an article in connection with the "comfort women" during the Second World War? Is an economic war between China and Japan more advantageous to the US than one between Korea and Japan?

To be frank, what the Japanese did to the Chinese people and people of other countries they occupied was nothing short of barbric and evil, a fair ideaology shared by almost all Chinese young and old. Japan's refusal of formal apology and admittance of wrong doing, breifely touched upon by Analets, is another source of apmathy. But what is bothersome is that government stoking flames in the belly of the Chinese public only when it conveninet for the government to do so, using the general public as tools show case their agenda. I don't think the government would allow massive protests like for any domestic social injustice issues. I think what Analets is pointing out the the government and popular media (which the government controls) plays a obvious and crucial part of the public's opnion towards the Japanese. If more movies like "The Devils on the Doorsteps" or stories of Japanese nationals from that period who helped Chinese people (which I don't know of any)were made avilable to the public it could alter general opnions. But with billions of oil and natural gas on the line I don't think government will be doing anything to spin a positive image of their neighboor.

Smashing Japanese cars..come on..I'm pretty sure it belonged to a Chinese person.

I’m sure you are confused to see the Chinese people land or invade Senkaku Islands, or Diaoyu Islands in Chinese and Diaoyutai Islands in Taiwanese. The Chinese, including Taiwanese, claim these islands are theirs while Japan strongly insists the unmanned islands are Japan’s. Your Tokyo mayor once declared something like “fight to death” to keep the Senkaku Islands. That’s the exact words we all had chorused at every opportunity for the banzai of the emperor during the war, hadn’t we?

There is the Kuril Islands dispute, or you call it the Northern Territories dispute, with Russia on the sovereignty over the South Kuril Islands. North Korea might join the diplomatic war against Japan soon.

What a mess. If I were the prime minister of Japan I’d surrender all those islets to the neighboring nations in exchange for erasing the past bloody histories written by Imperial Japan. That should be the easiest way out of the second worst national crisis in Japan’s history after the pre-World War II period.

I still vividly remember some of your faces who bullied me in our childhood years because my father was Korean. I bit my tongue about that at our alumni meeting last month and you all pretended as if such a thing had never happened.

President Lee Myung-bak said in his congratulatory address on our Independence Day, or Day of Ending War in your words though it’s actually the Day of Japan’s Defeat, that “we forgive but we shall not forget.” I cannot forget how you had wounded my young heart some 70 years ago. I didn’t do anything wrong but I was a good-natured Japanese boy.

Japanese people will never forgive or forget about the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings but forget the Pearl Harbor attack. It’s vice versa for the American people. Russians keep remembering the Russo-Japanese War of 1905 and the disgraceful Battle of Tsushima. Chinese aren’t particularly implacable people but they will never erase the record of Japan’s invasion on their mainland and the Nanking Massacre of 1937 from their history. Imperial Japan in the past hundred years planted the seeds stained with blood for the current mess beleaguered by hostile neighbors on all sides.

Actually Mr. Nam (the above-mentioned writer) is quite correct -- Japanese can never forget Hiroshima and Nagasaki (but they forget Pearl Harbor), so how can Chinese forget Nanking Massacre?

Last time when I visited A-Bomb Memorial in Hiroshima, two Japanese old folks approached me (maybe I look like Japanese) to ask me to sign a petition for demanding compensation from U.S. government for the A-Bomb victims.

No Chinese demands Japanese government for compensation of the Nanking Massacre victims. But if Emperor Akihito or Prime Minister Noda can go visit Nanking Massacre Memorial, repents there like former West German Prime Minister Willy Brandt knelt and wept at the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Monument in 1970, such gesture will most likely heal the historical wound between China and Japan.

Some fellow posters claim that the Japanese government has compensated China for WWII with huge low-interest loans and aids (most with attached terms like for buying Japanese merchandise only) etc.

But they have forgotten that though per Cairo Declaration in 1943, Japan must return all the lands that it stole from China, the Allied Powers didn't ask Japan to return the cash Japan stole from China.

In the Treaty of Shimonseki signed in 1895, how much cash did Japan grab from China?

200 million silver taels -- 10 times the indemnity that Britain had got from China after the Opium War.

In fact, no single country ever demanded that much money as Japan had from China in all those unequal treaties that the Qing Court was forced to sign with all foreign powers.

Have you ever been to Hiroshima and strolling around the Genbaku Dome?

I read the petition in detail (I had four and half years of Japanese language study in college and can read stories like 47 ronin). That was a petition for demanding compensation in lieu of abolition of the nuclear bomb.

But actually I sympathized with those two old folks -- most likely their family members were lost on that unfortunate day.

ok, so you should be right, though it was my surprise if there were such old folks demanding compensation from USA. i cannot understand what kind of account on which their demand is based since japan was a loser. it is possible to demand such compensation to their own government in my view, and it looks strange to demand it to USA.
i know there are still people who are demanding proper medical tretment to the government with regards to a-bomb as those who are demanding are excluded with certain reasons.
i was not expecting you feel sorry for those folks in hiroshima as i thought you are busy to accuse japanese for the sufferings of the chinese during the war and nanking incident and many other incidents which imperial army went over.

it would be difficult for noda to visit nanking museum where china displays crimes of the imperial japanese soldiers, some or many are open questions to be proven, such as the number of victims of 300,000 for example, which is the claim from chinese side while there are objections and many other opinions. history should not be that of the one-sided, but should hold to verification. the musium was purposefully built by the government of china or CCP in our view partly to elevate narrow-minded nationalism. by telling so you would be offended and your government will never withdraw as long as the government can capitalize it for their ruling of the people.
if there is a palce of memorial of the war dead, noda should certainly go and show his condolence and regret. if should kneel down or not is up to him for me.

The Tokyo War Crime Tribunal estimated that there were over 200,000 deaths in the Nanking Massacre while the 300,000 death figure was established in the Nanking War Crime Tribunal.

Both figures were revealed before PRC was established. Anyway nitpicking on the validity of figure is irrelevant. Whether 6 million Jews died during the Holocaust -- it is still a genocide. Whether 200,000 or 300,000 Chinese were killed -- it is still a massacre.

The Massacre Memorial was built by the government -- but the A-Bomb Memorial was also built by the government.

I sympathized with all innocent war victims -- no matter they were Chinese, Japanese or whatsoever nationality. I only blame the imperial family, i.e. Prince Asaka, who was the commander of the Japanese army in capturing Nanking but pardoned by General MacArthur, and other officers who could stop the troops from committing the atrocities but did not.

war tribunals consisted only of the winners including chinese prosecutors and chinese judge. their neutrality is doubtful. yes, even the number was 40,000, it does not deny there was a massacre. even 10 could be a massacre in a small village in a remote place.

you are right that both museums in nanking and hiroshima were built by the government. my mistake.

China claims that Japan took the Islands by force, officially gaining ownership under the Treaty of the Shimonoseki, which ended the Sino-Japanese war of 1895. The treaty sealed Japan’s victory over China, granting Japan money and land, including Taiwan. The treaty established that China would give Japan the island of Formosa, together with all islands appertaining or belonging to the said island of Formosa.”
The Senkaku are not specifically mentioned anywhere in the treaty; however, China maintains that the islands were part of the group belonging to Taiwan, a position that Japan disputes. If China is correct that Japan took the islands through the Treaty of Shimonoseki, the islands should now belong to China. Upon surrender to the Allied Forces at the end of World War II, Japan accepted the following condition set forth in the Cairo Declaration of 1943: “All the territories Japan has stolen from the Chinese, such as Manchuria, Formosa, and the Pescadores, shall be restored to the Republic of China.” The San Francisco Peace Treaty of 1951 also formally required Japan to relinquish its claim to Formosa, which is now known as Taiwan. Moreover, the 1952 Treaty of Peace between China and Japan certified that all pre-1941 Sino-Japanese treaties, including the Treaty of Shimonoseki, were null and void. If China could prove that the islands were given to Japan through the Treaty of Shimonoseki, China would have a solid claim to the disputed islands, but because China has not proven that link, it has a weak claim to the islands.

Wait. It was the Chinese that attacked Japanese troops near Marco Polo bridge on July 7, 1937 to start relentless attacks on the Japanese while the Japanese took a consistent non-escalation stance. In August the Chinese killed Japanese officer and bombed the concessions in Shanghai. Who started the war?

The Americans blatantly supported Chinese war effort through Vietnam and Burma. That itself was a declaration of war against Japan and deserved Pearl Harbor.

As for Korea, if Japan did not step in, Korea would be part of Russia today.

IMO (which I have reiterated several times in related forums) that the best way (in descending order) to resolve the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku islands would be:

(1) Shelve the issue as it has been since 1972;

(2) Tokyo deals with Taipei for a resolution, i.e. let the "private" owner sell one or two or three of the islands to Taiwan while Japan keeps the rest;

(3) Tokyo deals directly with Beijing to "split" the islands;

(4) The worst -- Act as if the dispute is non-existent as what the Noda government does now.

The way that Noda handled the issue is extremely clumsy, i.e. announce "nationalization" of the islands on Sept 18 -- the anniversary of the "Mukden Incident" when the Kwantung Army instigated military conflict in Shenyang in 1931 which later led to an all-out war against China.

And I don't see Japan has a strong case in the dispute. If Noda thinks that Japan historically and geographically owns the islands, he will not hesitate to propose to China to jointly submit the dispute to the International Court for arbitration like how he proposed to South Korea to jointly submit the disputed Dokdo/Takeshima to International Court.

"It was the Chinese that attacked Japanese troops near Marco Polo bridge on July 7, 1937 "

The initial skirmish was started by the Chinese. Then what followed was a slow moving train wreck in terms of negotiations and further skirmishes commenced by both sides. In an area increasingly encroached upon by the Japanese (moving buffer zone west from Manchuria, merging into areas allowing stationing of troops since the Boxer Rebellion).

That is why you had Mutaguchi Renya dramatically claiming he fired the first shot of the war (ejaculated that while condemning his men to death through incompetence in the Imphal invasion from Burma).

The fact is, Chiang sending troops into the vicinity of Beijing against a prior agreement moved the Japanese to want to "teach a lesson" - Now at the time just about everyone considered Beijing part of China.

Interestingly, I think it was more moderate types who pushed to teach China a lesson, while some hardcore types were anxious about the Soviets.

As for Korea - Who knows, maybe they would be independent following the fall of the Ching, or gain independence like Finland and the Baltics, in some counterfactual historical path....

Wrong about Vietnam outright. Not sure why you keep repeating the post like a parrot. Tonkin was shut off from the Nationalists in September of 1940.

Yes, go google it. Heck go look at any book on the Marshall plan. At the top of the results list:

Marshall Plan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_PlanThe Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was the American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to

Could easily just research aid given to Japan and say there was an equivalent level of direct benefit, followed by indirect benefits (access to American markets, relatively lax transfer of technology, etc.). See - doing your work for you.

Agree on wiki sucking as a source, but you were the one ejaculating go "google" something. So I didn exactly what you said.

Memories of past wrongs are much more valuable than an apology. If all of Japan got on its collective knees and begged, would it change things? Old grievences can be nurtured forever. Apologies are soon forgotten.

china is the most super power now , japan is much smaller and weaker in both economy and war weapon , so y do not china use its super power to take the islands from japan the same like china takes island from the Asean . if china can take islands back then the world will respect and accept that SUPER POWER CHINA , LOL , SYASSUP , LOL . Y DOES SUPER POWER HAVE TO PRAY OF GOD TO CHARITILY GIVING AGAIN , AND SHOUTING OUT LOUD ASKING OTHERS TO LOOK AT ITS PITIED PIG FACE

Japan what action how to deal with the diaoyu island question. Once Japan take irrational measures, this will force of the Chinese government and people unbearable to must take out tough policy to fight back. The Japanese domestic internal contradictions and a series of economic problems, the Japanese authorities should first to deal with those problems, should stop diaoyu islands problem to cause trouble.

If this development is more and more serious, the relationship between the true face to a very difficult situation, many Chinese to boycott Japanese goods, such practice is for national dignity consideration. Japan should ponder over such a very serious problem, the Chinese nation has strong.

Beauty(Value) is in the eye of the beholder(Buyer). No amount of apology is satisfactory unless the receiving end has the grace of accepting it. Following are the cases of Japanese apologies since the Peace treaty of 1972 between China and Japan.
1. By Premier Kakuei Tanaka on the occasion of signing the Treaty and welcomed by by Premier Chou En Lai. The Treaty stipulated renunciation of war-reparation claims (which, by the way, was the legacy of Generalissimo Chang Kai shek’s
generosity at the end of the WWII). In place of reparation ODA was agreed upon which, cumulatively, has amounted to 3.5 trillion yen mostly in infrastructures such as road and port system, and
surprise! still continues. (To Japanese it looks like an
endless, thankless tribute to a country now second largest in the world economy.)
2. 1982/8 by Premier Suzuki
3. 1984.9 by the Emperor and Premier Nakasone
4. 1993/9 by Premier Hosokawa
5.1995/8 by Premier Murayama
6.1997/9 by Premier Hashimoto
7.2001./9 by Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka
8.2001./10 by Premier Koizumi
9.2003/8 ditto
10. 2005/8 ditto

Would the Chinese younger generation, those post-80s, call Premier Chou En Lai a traitor for accepting Japanese apology and signing the Peace Treaty? (Such is the fruit of one generation long patriotism=hate Japan education.)

They say that Germany apologized handsomely but the Japan has not. Actually Germany has never apologized to any country for the war,
although there were unspeakable death and distruction in the neighboring countries. What they did was an apology to Jews for Holocaust. Jews did not go to war with Germany and was 100percent passive victims. They have thus succeeded to heap all the crimes upon Nazis and to exculpate German people and Wehrmacht.
As long as the Chinese Communist Party Center see it in their interest to demonize Japan and mobilize all educational, propaganda, even entertainment systems for that purpose, and deny to their people any positive information about Post-war Japan, her pacifistic constitution, her ODA, technological cooperation in helping develop Chinese economy,it is hopeless. Do young people, post 80ers, know that Panasonic factories they raided was the result of Premier Den Xiao Ping’s personal request to Panasonic chairman Mr. Matushita? ttp://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/oda/region/e_asia/china/index.html

It is the realization that any amount of apology, any show of goodwill is futile in building friendship , that China will not mend its four thousand year old ego-centrism, and will stop at nothing in forcing its will, that has awakened a sense of nationhood and self-defence in the heart of Japanese people. Call it nationalism if you please, Economist. Try to attach connotation of jingoism, but have a balance view. Compare what has happened and
is happening, in both countries, China’ s violence, looting by
young mobs and vituperation by their leaders on the one hand,
and Japan’s calm and restraint on the other, since the Hongkong fishermen’s landing at disputed rocks. Compare both countries school
texbooks and media contents including the movies fed to the ordinary people.

As I emphasized scores of times, should you show forgiveness and constraint when your wife and daughter were raped and family murdered , then you could come to dictate the order to the victims as to what rightful attitudes they should take toward Japanese atrocities in the jingoism wars.

There's no such thing in any protocol of which I'm aware. No matter what the apology looks like, no matter how big the reparations, there will be those who refuse to accept it or say it isn't good enough. And the reason is, as this and other articles make clear, because too much of modern PRC national identity comes from the ongoing hatred of Japan.

Buddy, do really understand what you are talking about? Do you really understand your ODA which mainly consisted of loan. China got to repay all plus interest. Over the repayment time, Yen continued to rise resulting that more RMB being spent for the conversion in the repayment. The official link in this regard is as follows :-http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/oda/region/e_asia/china/index.html
I feel surprised why you raised this up in the argument as it wont do you any good. Try something else please.
Besides, I have talked many times that no matter how many time the Jap has delivered the reluctant (or shallow) apology, it means nothing if it lacks sincerity and reparation.
I have just heard from the news that a new female diet member is proposing a review of the content of the textbooks. Perhaps thats a good start to every one's liking.

IF you know how to read English --- you will find that the so-called Japan Parliamentary apology is nothing more than a watered down version of a fairy tale designed to twist and turn the truth --- to make the Japanese look like angels who had done something really bad but only minor criminal acts

The Japanese leaders have apologized many times as you wrote -- but the problem is that right after they made the apology, i.e. Premier Koizumi, they went to pay tribute to all those Class A war criminals like Tojo, Hirota and Doihara in the Yasukuni Shrine.

It is just like German Prime Minister Merkel said sorry to the Jews, and right afterwards she went to a Memorial in Berlin (assuming there is one) that honors Hilter, Goring and Geobbels.

Do you think the Europeans and the Israelis would think Merkel is sincere in her apology if she does that?

Do you think the Chinese and Koreans would think Koizumi was sincere in his apology?

Again you just want to show how silly you are. You said they did not issue an apology, but they did. Now you say its a fairy tale, what is it my high IQ East Asian ubermensch. Please inform this low IQ dark skinned "Indian".

Hmm, as one reader suggests, TE is still a bit "sinophobic", though recent articles haven't been as blatant. However, after reading this article, I am left to wonder how TE would explain resentment of Japan (or at least, resentment toward memories of Japanese imperialism) in other Asian countries.

I was never indoctrinated by the Chinese Communist Party (Chinese-American, parents grew up in Taiwan), but reading about The Rape of Nanking still riles me up. I've never heard TE argue that Jews resent the Nazis because they were indoctrinated by Israel.

This is a blatantly biased report published in a Sino-phobic magazine, written by a person who is callous, insensitive, ignorant, and offensive -- with a false sense of superiority bred by a self-perceived "balanced" and "nuanced" mind. That' all.

The book Rape of Nanking should have changed your mind about the Japanese culture and behavior. Its more than about ordinary military men, its beast soldiers. Its said that author in writing the book, borrowed much idea from confessing Japanese. Whoever comes across this book would have an entire different perception about a so called civilized race from Japan. The way the Japanese Imperial Army treated the Chinese, in particular the women, was astonishingly brutal. The way the JIA viewed life of another race like animal. For this horrible behavior, the Japanese prime minister in meeting with CHOW En-lai in 1972 still naming their invasion as "inconvenience" caused to China. How dare did they talk like that? All their subsequent apologies have been polished to fool their domestic and overseas people. If you ask have they not apologised enough? I would correct you that the question should rephrase like "have they not fooled the people enough?" Thats true. Actually, they try to stay away from the sin. But they cant stay away for long. The Chinese must drag them down to reality to face the judgment. They must serve properly to pacify the 30m unsettled souls.

Israelis may "resent the Nazis", but they have very good relations with the modern German government. So there's a big difference for you. Israeli citizens aren't smashing BMW's on the streets of Tel Aviv....

The Japanese Empire did some terrible, terrible things. I personally feel that comparing them to the Nazis is entirely appropriate. That does not, however, mean that naked, stupid nationalism is appropriate 75 years after atrocities like Nanking.

Yes, it would be helpful if the Japanese had been more like the Germans (and less like the Russians) in openly discussing the shameful aspects of their own history... They certainly lose some sympathy votes from me due to this. Still, the modern Japanese state has very little to do with the old, nasty Empire. It's time to move on.

One has to wonder why you would not only dedicate your time to reading articles by a magazine you find so distasteful, but that you would volunteer your time to post and reply in the forums of such a magazine.

The answer is simple.
Like Time, Newsweek, New York Times, etc. The Economist is an international publication. Since I can see TE articles free from its website, why not?
For your information, I am NOT a subscriber of TE (either print or online edition) -- and I am proud of that. I don't see any reason why I should spend my money on a publication that is practicing, in my view, substandard journalism -- and I certainly don’t want to support a magazine as biased and Sino-phobic as TE.
Why do I volunteer my time to post and reply when I came across an article that is as offensive and biased as this one? Well, I'll leave the answer to you.

Like Time, Newsweek, New York Times, etc. The Economist is an international publication. Since I can see TE articles free from its website, why not?

For your information, I am NOT a subscriber of TE (either print or online edition) -- and I am proud of that. I don't see any reason why I should spend my money on a publication that is practicing, in my view, substandard journalism –- and I certainly don’t want to support a magazine as biased and Sino-phobic as TE.

Why do I volunteer my time to post and reply when I came across an article that is as offensive, biased, and disgusting as this one? Well, I'll leave the answer to you.

To suggest that Japan is somehow still militaristic is ludicrous. Japan has been at peace for 67 years, has been the largest donor to the U.N., has apologized dozens of times to Asian countries for the war crimes, and its relatively small military is tied down by numerous laws. (Even though the Chinese military budget has tripled.)

Every major Japanese bookstore has a whole shelf of books on Unit 731, Nanking, etc (and no, not the denilaist kind). Even Iris Chang's sensationalist "The Rape of Nanking" was based largely on Honda Katsuichi's pioneering research on Nanjing.

European countries such as France and Holland have started making movies about the complexities of occupation, and of collaboration, a sign of maturing historical consciousness. China should learn from that. Under Japanese rule, Manchuria's population grew exponentially, and more than a million Chinese cooperated with the pro-Japanese Wang Ching-Wei regime. On the other hand, there were also Japanese who tried to stop the war and revert colonial abuses.

In regard to your last para., I heard a lot about "the forever friendship between Japanese and Chinese" slogan during the honeymoon era in 1970s. Of course this was fake. Have you ever heard of the "100m nationals 100m soldiers" slogan in Japan in WWII? Women and children were all undergoing military training. Even some Japanese zealous girls are said to join the army as comfort women voluntarily. Believe it or not. The Japanese used to stress to fight to the last man in their hinterland should US army embark on an ultimate assault at the end of WWII. I am surprised that you still argue that Japan had someone attempting to keep peace. Even so, that should be a very minority group of people. Dont deny that the whole of Japanese people were brainwashed for over a hundred years to prepare for war to attack China and conquer the world. Dont pretend that there were really exception. Japan deserved the two atomic bombs to shorten the war time and save the lives of millions of people. I doubt if Japan can make movies with stark WWII background without exposing their horrible behavior. I doubt if Japan will allow a free press to spell out all details of war in the text books. There is a white wash in action in Japan. Why afraid of telling the true? Why cover the facts up? Why do the Japanese nationals still tolerate the behavior of the rightwing extremists to boost militarism in the country? Still, one country, one people. A kind of people dont feel ashame of the war crimes. A kind of people dont scare to enrage their neighbout. If that so, thats the kind of people in want of a lesson. A decent one.

i am asking just if u r free from sins n crimes.
i have never denied the sins made by imperial japan in china and many other countires.
i am asking just how about you, that's it.
why do u just abuse the other, but not answer?

"On the other hand, there were also Japanese who tried to stop the war and revert colonial abuses."
Actually there seems to have not been many of them. Even Saburo Ienaga said as much in his book "The Pacific War" - which had a leftists slant of sorts.
Some folks did things, like the spy leaking information to Richard Sorge.
The Chinese do have that gap on what actually ocurred in terms of fighting. Namely between 1940 and 1944 for the Nationalists (from fighting on the Yangtze settling down, to the Ichi-Go offensive); and the end of 1940 to like 1945 for the communists (after the 100 regiment offensive).
The communists could argue that they gradually extended control over territory, and bogged down Japanese troops with low intensity resistance possibly?

As a Chinese, I can honestly say our viewpoint of history is significantly more nuanced than what is run on state media past or present. However, I must say I found your above passage quite thoughtless and somewhat offensive:

"Yet it was not always so. In the decades following the second Sino-Japanese war (1937-1945), when China’s wounds were still smarting, anti-Japan feeling barely registered in the official propaganda. In the history textbooks of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Japanese aggression was consigned to a few sentences, written in simple, dry language."

Given China's situation in that period (when I was a child), did it ever occur to you that we had such hardships to deal with that we really didn't have the time or even the venue (given the isolation) to hash out the details of then recent history? I'll give you a clue: the basic needs of life were more importiant.

I'd suggest to you that:

(a) silence is not agreement
(b) the facts of history don't change merely because The Economist wishes it to be so
(a) justice deferred should not be justice denied

I think now that these issues have come to the fore the process of reconciling can begin and I'm pretty confident we can deal with it without The Guardian's hand-wringing about the China Daily, a publication few Chinese bother reading.

Perhaps Analects longs for past days quiet and deferential Chinese that did not challenge the Western narrative of history but replacing it with a characterture of Chinese ignorant of our history is not going to help you.

During WWII, Japan had done much more evil and murderous damage to Chinese than Germany did to Jewish people. Yet Western media had chosen not to report them very much even today because China has become a communist country.

It is great injustice done to the 30 million Chinese civilians died of Japanese attack and looting merely because of ideological difference.

Now Japan is again rattling its weapon under the protection of the USA. The USA has the responsibility to the world as world policeman to put a stop of Japanese bullying its neighbors.

Once the cold war started right after the WWII, US chose to make all commie countries its foes. Its ideology and hegemony worked hand in hand for US diplomatic policy. China was thus made victim by the then unfortunate situation to get involved in the Korean war. Hence China was contained by UN sanction on trade hurting much of its development for at least 30 years. Up till now, some sanctions are still there. China owes nothing to the then USSR (or the present Russia) as China completed all payments for every assistance made in the early years. Its clearly recorded in history. But Japan was lucky enough to get huge amount of aid in terms of money and technology from US with an aim to help them to stand up against the so called red China. So Japan had enjoyed great development from end of WWII till 1980. Though the prosperous years are gone, Japan has accumulated good enough saving to linger on their status as an economic power for some time. Whether or not if its justified for US to do that to China will be judged by historians later on. But one thing for sure is that US has made a lot of foes following its war-mongering approach to police the global affair. US has burnt a lot of money which can hardly be replenished in a short time. Its decline is predictable. Japan's decline is also beyond doubt. The sun rises in the east but exclusive of the little Japan which has lost much of its past luster lately.

young lad,
please do not distort the history.
please do not include 27 million chinese who were killed by your communists and KMT, although it is not an excuse.
please face the facts.

Ah, please do not forget that your parents and grandparents, the communists, wiped out the revisionist chinese, 3 million?, who could be the teachers of your parents or grandparents, or film stars who your parents or garndparents adored or writers and novelist and musicians and painters who your parents and grand parents migh have once enjoyed to read or listen or appreciated.

If your daughter and wife were raped and family murdered, I reckon that you would get pissed off like even few as you suggested who lost family members in the jingoism wars of invasion by evil Japanese .

Dont be so sure such tragedy wont occur to you one day in the future if you are still gloating over others' misfortune and predicament.Your flagging economy looms ahead right before you.

I am not defending Japanese atrocities forced on the Chinese people. I feel sorry for all those victims. So you have right to abuse the Japanese by insults, do you? For most of the Japanese who live in Japan, it is pure insults as if the Japanese are animals. What Japanese can do is not to forget the history and reflect it in order not to repeat the same mistake in future. I am not ashamed of the past, not because I am free from the past, but that time was such, Japan could be in the same status as the Chinese. That's life.
If you are asking the moral of the Japanese in general, we have similar moral as that of the Chinese, I believe, because both of us are human.
This has nothing to do with economy of Japan, as it is purely and economic issue.
This has nothing to do with Senkaku, as it is purely a political issue.

Your condolence and good regards are appreciately, anyway whether or not out of your true heart .
Regarding Diaoyu islands, according to the Cario Declaration stipulating the return of all plundered territories in its jingoism wars of invasion in Asia as the precondition of its surrender, they should be returned to China thereof.If not, louder actions need to be taken by China against Japan among which economic sanction is the wisest to avert out of control military conflicts .

The Japanese emperor should have committed suicide because of his committed role to cause so much pains to the Japanese people. Americans have been very nice to Japan, allowing them to keep this bloody emperor alive, keep the imperial army flag for his navy, downplaying so many punishment of this bloody country and so on. Other than these, the collusion with Japan to let go Unit 731 at end of WWII and the illegal transfer of administration of Okinawa and Diaoyu Islands to Japan in 1972. Chinese can never forget and forgive what the Japanese did since the Boxers uprising till 1945. Their brutality, looting, raping, burning, massacre, etc. Chinese must always be alert and prepared for another war with Japan should they dare adopt militarism again. Japan is a very bad neighbour hated by China, Koreas, and Russia. What Japan owes to its Japan cannot be written off so easily. Karma will punish them in due course. Now they pretend to be gentlemen talking about high moral, good manner, elegance, class, etc. Cant trust them as they are just the bloody looters turned fake gentlemen. The latest resentment caused to Chinese is over some small islands being illegal annexed by the small Japan which shows its ingratitude and greediness. Well prepared to hit them hard with no mercy.

the japanese militarism is again digging their own grave, except there will be no mercy this time around. japanese king system will not going to be allowed again. the mistake of macarthur and chiang k.s will not be repeated.

and ryukyus people will be liberated to regain themselves an independent country like they used to have.

don't believe me? this all will happen sooner than many japanese think.

You are right. In fact, the whole issue should be revisited against the updated historical facts. This might be a dream or might not be a dream. The way to judge the war crime and criminals should be conducted in line with that imposed on Nazi. The aim is to get the justice for the Chinese people. US was too biased in doing that, with not sufficient regard to the wish of the Chinese people.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. A crime as hideous as that committed by the then emperor of Japan must not be forgotten or hidden under the carpet. One day, it will be brought back to daylight for all to see -- and condemn.

this just in, listen to this, and japanese here may be jubilant to learn that, according to taiwanese news (united daily press), the us has boycotted the annual us-taiwan defense industry meeting scheduled in pennsylvania by sending no customary senior official from either the us state department or the us defense department this time, as a way of showing us displeasure over taiwan's diaoyu islands policy.

the us may have strong control of taiwan through some invisible hands (like how it pushed through american beef import to taiwan that taiwanese detested), but taiwan is no push over when its territory is being violated by japan. after all, tiawwn is no slave state to the us, like japan is.

You know US is rather annoyed by the flirtation occuring between Taiwan and China. US has been very careful in the arms sale to Taiwan not only because of the objection by China but also its fear that the weapons might fall into the hands of red China. For this reason, US is reluctant to sell any top notched weaponry to Taiwan. Red China can crone US item so easily by reverse engineering. Therefore, the arms sale is in fact loosing the charm to Taiwan for quite sometime. The present situation indicates that the brotherhood is growing stronger than ever. Even the opposition party of Taiwan has a plan to visit the great China for deeper understanding. With this close tie development, what is the use to spend huge amount to acquire low rate arms and ammunition from US. Call it off once and for all, better.

Taiwan is no vassal state, Taiwan is a cork preventing the PLAN from pouring into the pacific. With the invitation of PLAN into RIMPAC, Taiwan has lost a significant amount of its strategic value. Too bad Hillary does not appreciate Taiwan's steadfast effort for dissimilating democracy into China, that part is just taken for granted.

During the anti-Japanese demonstration in Beijing, many Japanese factories, Japanese stores, Japanese brand cars (owned by Chinese people), and also some Japanese people living or visiting there were attacked by the people who participated the demonstration. There were many stores and restaurants which posted a written sign "NO Japanese products sold" and "Japanese restaurant run by Chinese people". There were many Japanese people who tried to hide their identity by changing their look as Chinese people during the period, so that they could be safe. At least, there was not any rule that Japanese people had to put a sign on their close, such as the star for Jewish people in the past. Even the demonstrators attacked McDonald's(US), Carrefour supermarket(French), Italian embassy, and US ambassador's car. I just wonder if this is the way to wake up Japanese people and the Japanese government.

well, what the chinese and americans, in fact the world should be alerted is the ugly resurgence of japanese militarism today.

the us must tighten its hold on japan, not loosen it. the leash must be kept tight.

japanese militarism, the grand daddy of suicide bomber terrorism, is not forgetting that japanese king surrendered and japan nuked, twice, for its war crimes and atrocities. yet they have not learned the lesson well and are still smarting from their wounds of plaza accord.

so watch out america and china, there's no telling when will they pull another pearl harbour behind the back of the us, if any little chance is left to them.

"so watch out america and china, there's no telling when will they pull another pearl harbour behind the back of the us, if any little chance is left to them."

Well said. Japan is notorious for its ingratitude towards anyone helping them in the past. Examples are China helping them to develop its culture, UK the technology and navy, US military and industralisation, Germany military. In return, all mentors got a kick in the ass (or ball) by Japan. No one will feel sorry for the little Japan even if found hanged.

Since Pearl Harbor is past history, shouldn't Americans get over it and Hollywood movie makers start pouring out copious supply of movies on Pearl Harbor that are full of "balance" and "nuances"? It appears that movies that present a "balanced" and "nuanced" view of the Pearl Harbor attack have been in scarce supply.

Could we at least stop wishing the death of other people? Could we at least stop judging other people based on just their nationality?

The least this world needs is another war... we have enough of that going around.

I agree, history should not be forgotten but remembered. But for what? To avoid making the same mistakes and to grow as a species. Yes, please bear in mind that we are all "humans". Hatred will only bring sadness in the future.

Also, if I say "Asian people" are like this and that, I am making a generalization that is nice for a chat, but its not true at all. Just going by the countries (which would not be enough), one can see noticeable differences between koreans, chinese and others.

The same happens with us, "westerners". Depending on the region (North America, Latina America, Northern Europe, Mediterrenean Europe) we can also be very different. Just for your info not all western countries are becoming beggars ==> Just take a look at Latin America, Brazil...

They are busy to swear the neighbour with all possible verbal abuse with perverted nationalism, but overlook what they should really do something immediately if they really want to get sympathy from the outside world.

"killing, mutilating, raping, looting, burning,......of innocent civilians."
(laugh)
it seems you always have no commonsense. the quotation applies to yourself,the Chinese, although i do not know if you are chinese. study your history and you will find it easily.
they are not Japanese or German monopoly. even i know by reading some books.

'fortunately Japan has constituion which prohibit to settle issues with force unlike CCP directives. So u r rest assured.'
/
/
I am rest assured alright, not because some japanese constitution paper stuff, but because the occupying american troops won't allow you doing that ever again.

i understand your brain is not opened to the outside.
you try not to trust anything of the japanese, by which any effort of conciliation possible. you live only with hatered against japanese. poor nationalist.
but you are typical chinese.
you read japanese comics, you have japanese cameras, you drive japanese car like inching88?

You understand correctly. I am what you might call it---some good for nothing except perhaps for bashing back.
.
since you are interested in personal stuff, so I will let you in a little bit. I am proud to be chinese, and I am not exactly chinese. sure I have japanese cameras all my life, tons of them, from minolta to nikkon to casio to sony---until I switched photo taking to my cellphone (obviously not japanese brand).
.
I drive foreign cars, but never those cheap japanese brands. japanese comics? you wish and never heard of them. I do eat out at cheap joints like benihana and p.f. changs (oriental and mexican), with japanese girl friends. never with lies and never use unprovoked insults on TE. I don’t hate no japanese, I luv them. I just tell it like it is.
.
and speaking of which, you should agree with me that japan must give up ryukyus islands back to ryukyus people for independence and soon if you japanese want to be trusted by others.

I salute the great Chinese people for rising up in anger, now that they have sufficiently recovered from the abuse of their aggressors. I hope that some day soon we Indians will also snap out of the Stockholm Syndrome and demand an apology from the British who sucked our blood for 200 years and tore our country apart as they left. That's when " balance" will have been restored.

Sorri. Chinese dont have the Stockholm Syndrome. Perhaps Indians have the mixed feeling about the governance of UK for such a long wherein give and take took place. UK on one hand delivered substantial enlightenment to enrich the life of Indians. On the other, UK took away so much resources (including HR) from India. In the case of China facing Japan, the situation was like hell. Almost all Chinese residing in the coastal regions suffered the nightmare of broken families, broken homes, loss of family members, murder, life threatening, and so on. The pain covered a very large population, area and time. Thats how Japan impressed the Chinese. Japan's past apologies have been so prudent in wording and far from sincerity. Your "balance" is akin to my choice of word - justice.

Not only China suffered the atrocities of Japan in second world war whole East Asia including Philippines,Vietnam,Indochina even Andaman Nickober were horribly suffered by brutalities of Japan,you travels above any countries people not forget most cruel atrocities of people of. Japan.I always wonder most Japanese are blind followers are Buddha who preached non violence converted themselves so brutal?Today China not daring to attack on Japan only because fear of Americans who are allies of Japan.Japan dared to occupied island on support and strength of America

Chinese history of 3,000 years is the history of violence. It seems you have never studied your won history. It seems you are the typical war monger educated as described in the article. You are blind and deaf to see the truth as your eyes and ears are colored by communist propaganda of nationalism. Perhaps you do not understand what is nationalism is. Pity for you.

Sandaman, is it any of your business what the chinese feel? Just mind your own business, wherever you are from. I am sure the world is large enough for you to poke your nose into. And everybody else as well. Just everybody mind your own business.

Of course the Chinese know about nationalism. It is unlucky that in Qing Dynasty, Chinese did not the nationalism. The Manchurians just did not know how to catch up with the west and did not how to fight a modern warfare. The Han Chinese were not united enough to develop the desired nationalism. Japan took advantage of all these to bully China. Until WWII, Chinese nationalism developed and shattered Jap's dream of conquering China in three months. Nationalism worked and served to stall Japanese winning the war. Japan was for this reason forced to attack SE Asia and US, digging its own grave later on. Without nationalism, China would have been conquered as foretold by Japan, in three months. But Chinese nationalism proved that Japan was wrong. So, how can the Chinese feel bad about the nationalism?

Shame on you saying Chinese with a history of 3000 years rather than 5000 ones.So it is you not others who should go to the kindergarten receiving kinda more education of history before pointing fingers out at others. You do not know what history is. Contempt for you.

oh they are mostly in fossils or on the back of turtles.
we have freedom of speech and thought. we do not raise level of voice for pointing out mistakes. or was your pride damaged by it?
you talk only that history that china was invaded and suffered by the japanese. you never talk that china had invaded many more and gave sufferings much more as you have history of 5000 years, right?
you like abusing the others and hate to be being abused and i think it is one-sided opportunism.
you should see both films mentioned in this article and find new ideas.

So please invite Bin Laden, Assange and extremist Islamist to give you a piece of their minds rather than kill or detain them in your so called "open and free "country with freedom of speech, which these guys do deserve as well like you, however are deprived of due to your stupid ,biased and narrow definition merely in your own selfish interests.

Why not focus on the west's own century-long notorious colonialism wars and slaughters in all countries of almost every continent across the globe?
You should look at yourself in the mirror in the first place.

Becuz the American national anthem, of the mostly-undisputed greatest nation on Earth, is so peaceful.

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,

Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:

Between their loved home and the war's desolation.
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,